diff --git a/public/javascripts/application.js b/public/javascripts/application.js
index 5ba3416..756f1fb 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/application.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/application.js
@@ -1093,4 +1093,12 @@ function notifyMe(title, options) {
   // want to be respectful there is no need to bother them any more.
 }
 
+function start_fetching(element){
+  jQuery(element).append('<div class="fetching-overlay">Loading...</div>');
+}
+
+function stop_fetching(element){
+  jQuery('.fetching-overlay', element).remove();
+}
+
 window.isHidden = function isHidden() { return (typeof(document.hidden) != 'undefined') ? document.hidden : !document.hasFocus() };
diff --git a/public/javascripts/chat.js b/public/javascripts/chat.js
index 1fd15c2..a2c7688 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/chat.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/chat.js
@@ -596,18 +596,20 @@ jQuery(function($) {
    }
 
    function recent_messages(jid, offset) {
-      if(!offset) offset = 0;
-      $.getJSON('/chat/recent_messages', {identifier: getIdentifier(jid), offset: offset}, function(data) {
-        $.each(data, function(i, message) {
-          var body = message['body'];
-          var from = message['from'];
-          var to = message['to'];
-          var date = message['created_at'];
-          var who = from['id']==getCurrentIdentifier() ? 'self' : from['id']
-
-	  Jabber.show_message(jid, from['name'], body, who, from['id'], date, offset);
-        });
-      });
+     if(!offset) offset = 0;
+     start_fetching('.history');
+     $.getJSON('/chat/recent_messages', {identifier: getIdentifier(jid), offset: offset}, function(data) {
+       $.each(data, function(i, message) {
+         var body = message['body'];
+         var from = message['from'];
+         var to = message['to'];
+         var date = message['created_at'];
+         var who = from['id']==getCurrentIdentifier() ? 'self' : from['id']
+
+         Jabber.show_message(jid, from['name'], body, who, from['id'], date, offset);
+       });
+       stop_fetching('.history');
+     });
    }
 
    function count_unread_messages(jid_id, hide) {
diff --git a/public/stylesheets/application.css b/public/stylesheets/application.css
index 024d2fa..0f12b6a 100644
--- a/public/stylesheets/application.css
+++ b/public/stylesheets/application.css
@@ -6533,3 +6533,17 @@ li.profile-activity-item.upload_image .activity-gallery-images-count-1 img {
 .fetching {
   opacity: 0.3;
 }
+
+.fetching-overlay {
+  position: absolute; 
+  top: 0px; 
+  left: 0px;
+  right: 0px;
+  bottom: 0px;
+  background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
+  padding: 10%;
+  text-align: center;
+  font-size: 200%;
+  color: rgb(255, 255, 255);
+  text-shadow: 0px 0px 10px #FFF;
+}
--
libgit2 0.21.2